3345671
by fortifivemm
Summary: What happens when the X men find someone that even they may not be able to help?
1. Chapter 1

-1Disclaimer: I don't own X-men

# 3345671

Chapter 1

_File # 3345671_

_Subject Ronald AKA Ray AKA Dodger (Prefers 'Dodge' like the car company)_

_Current residence: Caraway Psychiatric Hospital_

_Room number: 271: currently 556 - Solitary_

_Basis for detainment: Criminal Tendencies: Shop lifting - assault - murder_

_Age: 21_

_Disorder: Sociopath - Severe Bipolar disorder - Split Personality - Kleptomania_

_Current state: As of last visit he was placed into solitary confinement for endangering himself as well doctor Luther when he took Luther's letter opener._

_History (Criminal): At the age of fourteen Ray (2nd persona) followed and assaulted a pair of 18 year olds under the pretense that they were going to rape and possibly murder a nine year old girl. There was no proof they had any such intentions and he was convicted of assault._

_Was subsequently tried for the murder of the same two boys at his residence. He was defended by a plea of insanity followed by a plea of self defense. He was found to be mentally unstable and was remanded to the Caraway Psychiatric Hospital for treatment._

_Patient History: Was taken to see a Dr. Riche who placed him on Korrisprodal which worked for a period of time but eventually failed to suppress the personalities as his body became used to the drug, Suprisprodal would have been proscribed but he was relocated to Caraway._

_During his stay he became involved with inmate # 2281789 also known as Carolyn. They were set to be married when he was placed into solitary for a period of two weeks. Carolyn reverted to her sociopath behavior in his absence and was found the day of his release with her wrists slit and a picture of him in one hand. The weapon of choice was never found and no one knows exactly why she killed herself when she knew he was to be released only five hours after she was found._

_Since this incident Dodger (3rd Persona) has completely gone back to the state he was in when he arrived. He has stopped taking his medicine or it has stopped working and he is currently confined to solitary again._

_Treatment - Dr. Luther: Every time I think we are getting some where he reverts to his normal self and the progress is lost. It is starting to wear on my patience. The last two sessions he has either threatened to or nearly caused me physical harm. The session before last he had me pinned in my chair for five minutes merely with his arms. All he had to do was wait until I turned my chair and he stood in front of me with a hand on either armrest, and then he looked at me with those insolent gray eyes. I'll be forced to send him to Dr. Armstrong in restraints if this continues as it has been for the past three…_

"Chuck?"

Professor Xavier looked up from the file he'd been reading and looked at Logan with raised eyebrows. "Yes?"

"Are we sure this is the kind'a guy we wanna bring back to the mansion?" Logan asked, glancing at Rogue who was standing uncomfortably with her arms crossed. "I already got a bad feelin' about this…"

Xavier smiled, "Logan, I believe there was a similar discussion had about weather or not you should be allowed to stay with us."

"Yeah bu' he didn' kill an'body before he came." Rogue said, looking from Logan to Xavier to Scott who was looking nervously around the sterile white room. Why did Ah have to come an'way?" She added.

"You, Rogue, are our insurance that he will at least listen to our offer." Xavier said with a reassuring smile.

"Reassurance? Wha' er yah talkin' about?" Rogue asked with a frown but the professor had already turned his chair and was on his way down the hall that led to solitary confinement room.

Logan followed and walked beside him, "What did yah mean by 'reassurance' Chuck?"

"You'll see." Xavier said with the same reassuring grin, "For now let's concentrate on being calm and most of all convincing." He pushed the joystick on the right arm of his wheelchair and he went just a little faster.

Scott had dropped back and was now standing by Rogue. "You ok?" He asked her as she held her arms around herself tighter.

She looked at him for a moment as if trying to decipher what he had said and then she nodded, "Yeh, is' jus', when Ah borrowed…" She glanced around to make sure no one was within earshot. "The las' time Ah go' a dose of Jean's powers…. The telepathy hasn' quie' warn off ye' an we're in a loony bin…." She glanced around and frowned again. She fiddled with the zipper of her green hoodie as they walked along.

Scott put his hands in his pockets and looked at the floor, "Wow, that's got to be bad…."

"Bad?" She said, looking at him with a raised eyebrow. "There was a guy back there tha' think's he's Napoleon, and he won' stop thinking about' how god tol' him at take over Russia… All Ah could hear when the professor was talkin' to the intern was, 'If only they'd le' meh ou' Ah could ge' them damn Ruskies.."

Scott forced himself not to laugh, "Oh, that's horrible. I'm sorry about that…" He said with as much conviction as he could through the grin on his face.

"Yah look i' too." Rogue said with a grin, "Ah jus' wanna ge' this over with yah know?"

Scott nodded and then looked up as Logan and the professor stopped at the far end of an empty room. "Ah, here we are." Xavier said, looking at the door with a smile, "Logan, if you don't mind."

"Oh yeah, sure." Logan reached out and opened the door. Much to all their surprise the room beyond was empty. "Where…?"

Logan stopped as he sniffed the air inside the room and caught the same scent coming from outside. He looked up and saw a man with an ugly face staring at them intently. "Just a second Chuck…." Logan said, walking toward the man who quickly turned and started in the other direction.

Logan went a little faster and when the man turned around he used his forearm to pin him to a pole in the middle of the room. "Get off'a me." The man said, his entire body seemed to glow for a moment before he reappeared as a much younger and better looking man.

"Excuse me?" Logan asked, his forearm holding the younger man by the shoulders to the pole.

"You heard me." The boy said, looking at him with only a little interest, "Now get off."

"Logan." Xavier said with a smile. "He doesn't need to be restrained."

"Yeah, alright professor." Logan said, slowly backing up and letting the other man go.

"Dodger?" Xavier asked, watching as the man brushed himself off.

"Yeah?" The man asked without looking away from his clothes.

The professor smiled and Scott and Rogue glanced at one another, this couldn't be the guy. "My name is Charles Xavier, I'm the one…"

"With the school for freaks, they told me." He said, looking up and taking in the two people standing and sitting in front of him. "You're the one that's trying to get me set loose right?"

"There's no need to make it sound like you're caged." Xavier said, "We're merely emissaries…"

"Most emissaries don't attack the people their trying to sway." Dodger added, looking at Logan with a slight smile. "Nice shades." He added over the professor's shoulder as Scott leaned into view. "I don't bite so you don't have to stand over there." Logan noticed his eyes linger on Rogue for a moment before turning back to the two in front of him.

He looked around and then turned his attention back to Xavier, "The doctor that told me is a psychic, said you were too but you've gotta be better at it then he is."

Xavier smiled and nodded, "Yes, the doctor was a student of mine a long time ago." He turned the wheelchair, "If you'd follow me I'm sure we can get you out of here…"

"Wait, are you saying if I come to this school of yours, then I get out of here, for good?" Dodger asked, his voice betraying how interested he was in this idea.

"For as long as you remain with us then yes, you will be out of Caraway." Xavier said with a smile that was either forced or knowing.

Dodger looked at the man for a moment, then his eyes slid up to Logan, back to Scott who was frowning, and finally to Rogue where they stopped for a moment. "You've got yourself a deal." Dodger said, extending a hand.

"Good." Xavier said shaking the man's hand and turning his chair around. "I already had the papers drawn up, all you have to do is sign yourself into my care and we'll be on our way to New York."


	2. Chapter 2

-1Disclaimer: I don't own X-men

# 3345671

Chapter 2

Dodger sat in the last seat on the right at the very back of the jet, his hands folded behind his head and the seatbelt securely fastened. Sitting uncomfortably next to him was Rogue who was trying as hard as possible to not look at him or at Scott for that matter. She knew he was looking at her but she forced herself to stare forward at the back of the seat in front of her as if she didn't. "_He doesn't get it."_

"What'd you jus' say?" She asked, looking over at him questioningly.

"I didn't say anything." Dodger said, looking at her with a slightly confused expression, "Are you some kind of telepath?"

She felt uncomfortable as he looked at her but she nodded once, "In a way."

"Well there you go." He said, putting his hands behind his head, "I definitely thought something, 'bout your friend up there in the shades." He nodded his head slightly toward Scott who was busy flying the jet.

"Ah…. Ah don' know wha' you're talkin' about…." She said quickly, turning slightly pink and looking at the seat in front of her again.

He grinned and leaned back against his arms, "You gotta be careful what you think around a telepath, they might here you saying you don't like them or something you know?" He closed his eyes, "Probably had that happen to you once or twice right?"

She thought of the few times Jean had 'accidentally' over heard her thoughts and nodded. When he didn't say anything else she looked over at him and took the chance to look him over while he had his eye closed. He wasn't ugly by any stretch of the imagination. He had hair down past his shoulders and it was obvious he hadn' shaved in several days but she decided he would have been pretty hot if he had a haircut and shaved. She frowned and sniffed, _'And maybe a bath.'_ She looked forward again as he opened his eyes.

"How long's it take to get to this school anyway?" He asked, glancing out a window and seeing nothing but fields. "Look's like we're still in Kansas…"

She glanced at the clock near the front of the jet, "We shoul' be there by four." She said, staring at the red numbers which read 2:36. "Or aroun' there somewhere."

"That's enough time." He unhooked his seatbelt. Stood squishing past her to the asile and walked up to where the professor was. After a moment of speaking with the Professor he walked to a small storage area to one side of the let and grabbed a small box, walking into the back of the plane.

Logan watched as the door closed behind Dodger and unbuckled his seatbelt, walking back to where Rogue now sat alone. "Yah alright back here with him?" He asked, standing by her seat and looking down at her with a little concern.

She looked up at him with as much courage in her eyes as possible. "Yeah, he kinda smells though." She grinned slightly as Logan laughed.

"That's good to know." Logan said with a smile. _'He came from a loony bin, and all she says is he smells a little…' _

She looked at him and found he wasn't actually speaking. "Yah know wha' hi's doin' back there?" She asked him.

Logan shrugged, "All I know is he came up and talked to the professor." Logan said, glancing back as he spoke and staring at the door he had gone through. "He's got a record longer then this plane, so don't get too comfortable around him, alright?" He said, passing the information he'd read over Charles' shoulder to her.

She looked at him for a moment trying to get Jean's mind reading to come up and let her know what he was thinking but there was nothing. "Alrigh'." She said and she looked back as the door opened again.

She stared as he walked over to the storage compartment he'd gotten the box out of and put it back. He'd shaved his face and cut his hair. His hair now hung much thinner and to the middle of his neck. She blinked and found him looking over. She turned and looked at the seat again as he came over. "Scuse me." He said to Logan, squeezing past Rogue's knees and sitting back in his seat.

Logan frowned at him slightly as he pushed past and went back t his seat across the aisle from the Professor. "You sure this is a good idea?" He asked the professor as he looked over at him. The professor simply smiled at him.

"What crawled up his ass and died?" Dodger said as he watched Logan walk back to his seat and sit down. Rogue simply stared at him for a minute, although his hair was definitely uneven he looked several years younger now that he had shaved.

She turned her attention back to the seat in front of her as he looked at her. "He's always like tha'." She said, looking up and seeing Scott glancing back at them. She smiled at him and he returned the gesture before he looked back out the windshield.

"Like I said, he doesn't get it." Dodger said with a grin, leaning his head back against the seat and closing his eyes. "Don't worry, you've probably got guys chasing after you anyway." He made himself comfortable in his seat and went to sleep.

She felt her face turn slightly pink and then go back to normal as she stared at the seat in front of her. When she was sure he was asleep she unbuckled the seatbelt and walked up to the front or the jet, taking a seat beside Logan.

"You ok?" he asked her as she sat in the empty seat and began to tap her foot.

She looked at him and nodded, "Yeah, he's jus' weird." She said, looking out what she could see of the windshield. Nothing but blue sky. "When we ge' back, are we gonna be there for while or do we have somethin' to do?"

Professor Xavier looked up from what he had been reading which looked almost like the file from Caraway. "I can't speak for anyone else but I have nothing to do today, why do you ask Rogue?" He smiled his usual reassuring smile.

"I jus' wondered if there'd be anyone else there or if it'd jus' be me an him…" She glanced back through the seats and saw that he had turned and was now sitting across both seats looking quite happy with himself. "Since everybody else, besides Kitty an' tha' new girl from Britain is on tha' trip, and Storm wen' to see her Nephew. There'll be nobody really there for the next few days…"

Logan glanced at her and then back at Dodger who was obviously asleep now that he had room. "You got a point there kid." He said, looking over at the Professor. "If it's jus' you, Scott and Rogue, we don't even know what his powers are…"

"He's a shape shifter." Xavier said with a glance at the file, "humans, animals, inanimate objects. He can become whatever he wants, much like Mystique."

Logan stared at him, "And you're alright with that Chuck?" He stared at him with one eyebrow raised. "You're ok with a kid that's got diagnosed mental problems running around the mansion looking like whoever he wants?"

"It's a mansion?" Dodger asked opening one eye and looking at them. "They just told me it was a school."

Logan frowned at the boy from where he sat, ignoring the look of surprise on Rogue's face. "You been listening to us the whole time bub?" He asked, looking back at him.

Dodger grinned, "It's not hard to hear you Logan." He closed his eye again, "Half asleep or not."

Logan glared at him, "Who said you could call me Logan?" He asked in a growl of a voice. "I'm Wolverine to you, nothing else."

Dodger opened his eye again and looked at him, "Wolverine? What the hell kinda name is…"

Xavier cut him off. "Logan, Dodger, please." He gave a knowing look to them both as they turned their attention to him. "Besides, We're nearly home anyway, so it would do well for us all to sit properly and buckle up."

Logan grumbled as he faced the front of the jet and buckled his lap belt again. Rogue glanced back in time to see dodger turn and hook himself in as well, winking at her when he saw she was watching him. _'You think I'm nuts but you live in a building with that guy?'_

She turned forward again and tried not to laugh as Logan looked at her. "What?" He asked as she giggled slightly.

"Nothin' ." She said, glancing back and seeing him leaning his head back, his eyes closed again. "Absolutely nothin'."


	3. Chapter 3

-1Disclaimer: I don't own X-men

# 3345671

Chapter 3

Rogue sat in an oversized armchair with her legs pulled up under her, a book open in her lap. She was currently concentrating more on the fire in the fireplace then the words printed on the page. She sighed, it was only her, Logan, Kitty, the British girl, the Professor, and him here now. There was absolutely nothing to do. She frowned as she watched some of the wood spark. _'Stupid Gambit…'_ She thought, _'Always sneaking around and coming up to me out of nowhere, like he thinks I actually want him around…'_ She frowned at the wood as it began to crack. _'All he could say when he left was…'_ "Mon Ami?"

She jerked and turned her head as the log she'd been watching cracked in half and sent a shower of sparks up the chimney. She stared at what she thought was Gambit for a moment then blinked and saw Dodger looking over her shoulder at the book. He hadn't even flinched when her head had narrowly avoided his. "Wha' did you say?" She asked.

"I said, what cha reading?" He said, looking up at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh…" She felt rather stupid and looked back at the book, "I's Dracula." She felt her cheeks turning slightly pink as she realized just how close to her he was.

"Ah." He said with a grin, "No wonder you're so jumpy, first time you've read it?" He asked, glancing at her.

"No." She made herself look up at him without turning pink. "Ah read i' before i's a good book." She couldn't help but notice how much better he looked, and smelled, now that he had gotten a bath.

He nodded, "But cha can't read a book too much or it loses it's appeal right?" He grinned and dropped a book onto the open pages of the leather bound volume. "Read that instead?" He asked pleasantly.

She looked at the cover. "The Perks ah bein' a wall flower?" She asked him, staring at the cover which had a picture of a boy facing away from the camera and at one of the ugliest wallpapers she had ever seen. "'Zit any good?" She asked, looking up at him.

He nodded, "Least, I think it is, whether you like it's your opinion right?" He winked and straightened up. "The kitchen's that way right?" He asked, pointing across the room at a door.

"Yeh." She said with a slight smile, "Through the door and down the hall, firs' door on the righ'."

"Thanks." He said walking across the room and pausing as the door opened. He inclined his head as Kitty and the British girl walked in, giggling slightly. "Evening." He waited till they had come into the room before he walked out the door.

Kitty looked over and saw Rogue closing her copy of Dracula and opening the book he had given her. "Rogue!" She said, leading the British girl over to the couch across from Rogue's seat. "Who is that guy?" She asked with a grin. "He's pretty hot." She looked at the door to make sure he wasn't still there or coming back in.

"His name's Dodger." She said unenthusiastically as she opened his book and turned to the front page. She stopped when she saw a folded sheet of paper in the binding.

"Dodger?" kitty asked, looking at Rogue in confusion. "What kind of name is Dodger?"

Rogue shrugged and used a finger to open the note without letting them see it.

_'If you want to know how to get him to notice, meet me in the kitchen at 10:30.'_

She felt her cheeks turn slightly pink and didn't notice Kitty look at her friend for a moment. "Well, his name isn't what matters anyway, right Rogue, I mean just lookit Gambit's name, you and him can have a thing even with his name all weird like that…"

"We don' have a thin' !" She said, looking up from the note in the book. "He keeps following' me around, you say tha' like I wan' him to or something'."

Kitty blinked, "Oh, wow, well I assumed…" She grinned, "Sorry." She then glanced at the gothic girl sitting beside her. "Oh, I totally forgot, Rogue, this is Julia, Julia Rogue." She smiled.

Julia grinned and nodded her head, "Nice to meet you."

Rogue looked at her and nodded back. "Yah too." She glanced at the clock, it was ten fifteen. "Ah gotta go though, sorry." She said, standing up and walking out the opposite door that Dodger had taken.

Kitty watched her go and shrugged. "What do you think got to her?" She asked Julia.

Julia shrugged, "Maybe she just had better things to do?" She glanced at the clock as well, "It is getting kind of late." She leaned back against the couch.

"So, what do you think he does exactly?" Kitty asked glancing at the door Dodger had gone through. "Maybe he's got some cool power like seeing through things!"

Julia rolled her eyes, "That's only cool if he doesn't look at us Kitty."

Kitty laughed, "You've got a point."

Rogue was walking up the stairs toward the girls rooms. She glanced at the grandfather clock in the hallway between the stairs and her room. It was ten twenty. If she went back to her room and dropped the books off, then went the long way down to the kitchen to avoid Kitty and Julia, she'd be there in about five minutes. If she decided to go at all.

She opened her door and walked in, setting the books on the nightstand by the bed. She sat down and stared at the wall for a moment before she picked up the smaller book he had given her and took the note out, looking at the surprisingly neat hand writing. "Why should I go?" She said, leaning her head against her headboard. "He's a psychopath. I's no' even safe goin' there I be'." She tilted her head forward and let it fall back against the headboard again. "Bu' he could jus' be tryin' tah help…" She glanced at her small electric clock. Ten twenty three. "You're gonna regre' this…" She stood up and walked out of her room, stuffing the note into her pocket as she shut the door and turned right, going toward the back staircase that led to the rec-room.

As she went she stuck her hands in her pockets. "I's no' like there isn' anyone around. Kitty's in the other room and the Professor's here." She looked up as she came into the rec-room and saw Logan playing cards in a corner with his back to her. She walked quietly through the room and he didn't seem to notice her.

_'Why should I have tah sneek?'_ She thought, _'I'm almost 20, i's no' like I'm doin' anything' wrong….'_ She opened the door that led to the dinning room. She looked at the long table and sighed, _'Besides, even if he is being weird, I can take care of myself…'_ She paused in front of the door and looked at it's white front. She took a deep breath and walked through it, pushing the door open. _'Here goes nothing'.'_

She looked around and saw him sitting on the small tale near the window with an apple in his mouth. "Oh, you showed up…" He grinned, "I wasn't sure if you'd see the note or not." He pushed some of his hair out of his face and took another bite out of the apple, "You're early though."

She looked at him, "Early? You're talkin' like this is an appointmen' or something'…"

She watched as he sat the apple on the table and stood up, "Well,it kinda is…" He grinned, "Least for you it is." He walked over and stopped in front of her, "So you wanna know how to get mono-eye to notice you right?" He asked with a grin, pushing his hair out of his face again.

She felt herself turn slightly pink. "Well, tha's wha' the note said I should come for…" She looked at the wall to one side. "Don' screw around if you're jus' bein' funny…"

She heard the door open but before she could look over he had put an arm around her and was kissing her. Her eyes widened and she pulled away, looking over at the door. There stood Scott looking extremely surprised.


	4. Chapter 4

-1Disclaimer: I don't own X-men

# 3345671

Chapter 4

Rogue stared at him as he looked between her and Dodger. "I… I'm sorry…. I didn't know there was anyone…." He blinked, not quite sure what to do.

Rogue pushed him off her and he grinned, "What?" He said, looking at her with a wink. _'Guys notice the girls they don't have more then the ones they do.' _He thought. He grinned, "You should knock." He said.

Scott frowned at him. "It's a kitchen, I didn't think I had to."

Rogue glanced between the two of them and felt her face turn red. Without a word she walked out of the room past Scott who moved out of the doorway to the rec-room.

Dodger and Scott stared at each other for a few seconds. Scott turned and followed after her out of the room. Dodger grinned and walked back to the table, sitting on it and picking up his apple again.

"Rogue." Scott said, not noticing Logan was watching them. "Rogue, what was that about?"

Rogue stopped and turned to look at him. "Ah… Ah don' know, he jsu', and then you…" She frowned, "I shouldn' a gone…."

Scott put a hand on her shoulder reassuringly and she looked up at him, "He didn't do anything else did he?" He asked.

She shook her head, "No, he jus' sorta grabbed me and then…." She trailed off. "Yeah…."

Logan was watching them as they came in and had been listening to them as they talked, "What happened?" He asked, watching them as they looked at him.

"Nothing." Scott said, "We're going to deal with it right now actually." He smiled reassuringly and then steered Rogue toward the door.

Rogue didn't fight it but let him lead her to the door. "Look, thanks and all bu' he didn' do anythin' and i' was sor' of…" She stopped and he looked at her for a moment. "I's nothing', Don' be mad a' him." She turned and started back toward the rec-room.

"Rogue, are you ok?" He asked, watching her as she went to the door.

She looked back at him, "Yeah, Sco', Ah'm fine." She turned and walked through the rec-room and up the stairs.

Scott watched until the door swung shut and then turned to the door that led to the kitchen. "What the hell were you doing?" He said as he walked in and saw Dodger sitting on the table. "That's call sexual harassment."

He chewed the bite of apple he'd just taken and looked at Scott. "She wanted you to notice her you dumb shit." He tossed the apple core into the garbage. "She's got a thing for you, has for a while the way I understand it."

Scott stared at him. "What are you talking about?" He asked.

"I said she's got the hots for you mono-eye." He grinned, "The image I got from the pictures around here you're after the red head, she needs to get over you, figured I'd help her out a bit."

Scott stared at him. "Stop making shit up and tell me the truth, why the hell…?"

"I already told you dumb ass. She's basically in love with you and you just didn't get it." He walked past Scott toward the door. "Night." He added as he went into the rec-room.

Scott watched him go and stood very still, not quite sure what to do.

Rogue walked into her room and sat down on her bed, pulling her knees up to her chest and holding them there. "How stupid could I be?" She said, banging her head against the headboard. "Wha' an idio'…"

"Now Cherie, you shouldn' hi' your head like da', you're gonna hur' yourself."

She looked over at her window and frowned, she was seeing him again. "Stupid…" She banged her head again.

"Are you alright mon cher?"

She looked over at him and blinked. Much to her surprise he was still there. "Gambi'?" She asked, sitting up a little bit.

"Oh mon, chère dame, how hard did you hi' your head ma petite fille?" He asked from where he was balanced on the railing of her balcony. "You're actin' like you don' know me."

She frowned, "Now's no' a good time." She leaned against the headboard. "Aren' you suppose' tah be in the Bayou anyway?"

He grinned, "Mon chère, Gambit goes where he wan's when he wan's." He stood and stepped off the railing, walking into the room without much concern. He sat in the armchair across from her bed. "Now wha's de matter mon petite? Dites-moi, tell Gambit." He said, leaning back and making himself comfortable.

"Wha' happened is none of your business, now ge' ou' of my room." She pointed to the door, "I'll call Logan."

Gambit frowned slightly, "Mon petite, you're upse', tell me wha's wrong?" He said tilting his head to the side slightly, his red on black eyes focused on her face for the first time she could remember.

She frowned. "Nothin's wrong, ge' ou' a my room!" She said, pointing to the door again, her voice less convincing this time.

"Bien ma dame, I's your room after all, you wan' Gambit to go, Gambit will go." He stood and walked toward the door.

She watched him walk to the door and sighed, "We go' a new guy the other day." She leaned forward and put her arms around her legs.

"Vraiment? Really?" He asked, turning and walking to the bed, sitting on the very edge of it.

"Yeah, he's from an asylum in Kentucky." She grinned, "You two shoul' ge' along fine."

He grinned, "Of course mon ami, bu' why dtd dey bring someone from an asylum here, wi' all de enfants, children?" He looked slightly concerned.

"Everybody's gone a' the momen'. Jean an' Beas' took the younger studen's on some trip tah Canada or somethin' and everybody else has a job tah do somewhere." She leaned against the headboard. "Besides, we take everybody in, remember? Even the vegran's, criminals, and loonies."

Gambit grinned, "Vrai, true. Even one's like me." He grinned, "Bu' da' does no' answer my question mon ami, wha' happened?"

She looked at him, "He was an ass." She shrugged, "No' much tah tell really, besides he's a raving lunatic."

Gambit nodded, "So like you said mon ami, we should ge' along jus' fine?" He smirked at her as he said it.

She grinned, "Go tah your own room will you?" She asked, looking at the window. "Ah'm gonna have tah star' lockin' my winda again aren' Ah?"

He grinned and stood up, "Ah, mon amour, you wouldn' lock Gambit ou'." He walked to the door and opened it, "Besides, I can open i' if you did anyway." He ducked out the door before she could say anything else.

She watched him go and frowned as she leaned back against the headboard. "Ah ha' this place."

Gambit walked down the hall toward his room shuffling his cards and paused when he saw someone crouched by a wall. "Mon ami, wha' are you doin' over der?" He asked, slipping the cards into his pocket.

"Mouse." Was the reply.

Gambit walked up quietly and looked over the boy's shoulder at a small mouse which was twitching it's nose at them. "If i's no' scared den i's go' something'." He said, watching as it came very close to the boy's outstretched hand before wriggling back again.

"It doesn't have anything." He said, looking up. He lifted his right hand and held it toward Gambit. "Name's Dodger, nice to meet ya."

Gambit shook his hand, "Gambit's de name." He watched as the mouse came up to the boy's hand again and sniffed at a finger. "Wha's i' doin'?" He asked.

"I just had an apple, he can smell it." He said, grinning slightly, "Doesn't know whether to try and eat my finger or be afraid of it."

Gambit watched and then turned as something made a noise behind them. It was the grandfather clock just down the hall. When he looked back Dodger was standing with the mouse in his left hand, looking at the clock as well. "Nice timing." He said with a frown, stroking the shivering mouse with a finger calmingly. "I was trying to keep it from going that way." Hew added as he felt Gambit looking at him, motioning down the oppoite way he was looking. Gambit looked and saw a small mouse trap at the end of the hallway hidden under a table. "Those things never kill em right away, it's painful." He spoke as if he understood the way the mouse would have felt.

Gambit nodded, "Ah guess no'." He looked at Dodger as he turned his face down toward the mouse. "Well, nice tah have me' you." Gambit said before he started down the hallway again, taking the cards out of his pocket again and shuffling them.

"You too." Dodger said, watching him until he was out of earshot. Dodger's left hand twitched as he twisted the mouse's head around and heard the neck snap. He grinned at the small squeak of surprise it let out and then turned to follow in Gambit's wake, running a thumb over the mouse's limp form. "Very nice."


	5. Chapter 5

-1Disclaimer: I don't own X-men

# 3345671

Chapter 5

"So, how do you feel?" Xavier asked Dodger as they all stood in the danger room. It was a custom for the new member to receive their uniform in front of the rest of the team.

He was examining the black one piece very form fitted outfit with a raised eyebrow. "No offense but I fell like a dick…" He said, looking at it.

Scott and Logan glanced at each other, neither one all too happy that he was even getting a uniform to train in. Logan leaned toward Scott and grinned, "I could say something right now…." Their hatred for each other seemed to have been forgotten with Dodger's arrival.

"Now, it's specialized for you." Xavier said, smiling slightly. "Just like Logan's suite molds back together, Kitty's suite allows her to phase, and Julia's repels electricity, yours will form to any shape you take without hindering you in any way." He set the tips of his fingers together with his elbows on the hand rests of his wheelchair. "Give it a try."

Dodger looked at him and then shrugged, his gray eyes went much lighter as a white ring appeared around the pupils and there was a multicolored flash. When they looked up he was gone. Gambit leaned toward Rogue, "Mon chère, does he become invisible?" Gambit asked, watching a fly buzz around the professor a few times.

Rogue shook her head, "He's a shape shifter…" There was another flash and there he stood, his eyes back to gray. "See?"

He stared at his arms. "Not too bad." He said with a slight grin, looking at the professor. "What exactly do I do with it?"

Xavier smiled and looked up at the upside down dome in the ceiling. "I will tell you that once I've gotten to the control room." He pushed the joystick on the armrest of his wheelchair and rolled out of the room, he large doors closing behind him.

"I don't think you look like a dick.." Kitty said with a grin, pulling Julia with her toward Dodger who grinned slightly. "At least not any more like one then we do." She smiled.

"Good to know." Dodger said with a smile, glancing at Logan who was glaring at him, "'Scuse me." He added, winking as he went past them to stand away from the others.

Scott looked up and saw the professor wave to him before reaching for the counsel. "Here we go everybody." Scott said, putting a hand up to his visor.

The computerized voice said cheerfully, _"Danger Room code s8867531, sequence beginning."_

There was a sudden upheaval as the floor jerked and began to come alive with tentacles and moving pieces of metal. Dodger looked almost surprised for a moment but there was a flash and he was gone, a dog running and avoiding the tentacles that were grabbing for him.

Kitty phased through a wall as it tried to crush her and she grinned as she watched Dodger knowing at some wire's connecting to the gun that was trying to shoot him. Julia stood behind her, her hands outstretched and large bolts of electricity jumping from her to the electrical obstacles. She dove into the ground as something shot at her from the ceiling.

Gambit had been tossing cards and blowing anything that moved sky high as he watched out for Rogue who wasn't focusing on the current situation. "Mon ami, wa'sh wah' ya are doin' eh?" HE said as she nearly got grabbed by a tentical that she narrowly dodged.

She glared at him, "Ah'm fine Gambi'." She said angrily, missing a pair of pistons that had short from the wall on either side of her by inches.

Scott shot the tentacle grabbing for his leg and turned his head to get rid of the floor that had been lifting him up toward the ceiling. As the floor went back down out of no where Dodger came flying at him and he tried to move to the side. Much to Scott's horror Dodger's teeth sank into his shoulder and his dog's body collided with Scott, knocking him backward.

"What the hell?" Scott asked as he hit the ground and Dodger let go of his shoulder. "Whay the hell did you just…?" He flinched as he tried to get up and the dog bite shot a signal up his shoulder that it was a bad idea to move it.

_"Sequence terminated."_

Logan came up behind him and grabbed him by the suite. "What'a ya think you're doin' bub?" He asked, holding dodger by the front of the shirt but being shorter he couldn't lift him up.

"Saving his life, will you stop touching me?" He said, pushing Logan's hands away and motioning to the pair of walls that had been closing on Scott and had gone unnoticed. "You dumbass." He added, walking past Logan as the doors opened and the professor came in.

"What seems to be the matter?" The professor asked with a generally worried look on his face as Dodger walked past him.

"Ask them." Dodger said shortly, walking out of the room and leaving the group to stand there and stare at one another.

"What's wrong with you guys?" Kitty said, frowning at them before she followed after him, phasing as the doors closed.

Dodger was sitting in the small men's changing room, one hand transfigured into what looked like a paw complete with claws on each finger and the other arm sitting upside down on his leg. His shirt lay forgotten next to him on the bench as he stared at the pale of the bottom of his arm which contrasted sharply with the dark denim of his jeans. His upside down arm had a long scratch from his wrist up to the inside of his elbow. He stared at it dazedly for a moment as it started to bleed in a few of the deeper places.

"Dodger?"

He turned his arm over and put his hand in his pocket to keep his arm turned away from whoever was there, his other hand changing back to a hand. "Yeah?"

"Are you, like, dressed? I mean, if I came in…. You've got pants on and everything…?"

"Yeah kitty, I'm dressed." He said, not bothering to stand up as she walked in and saw him sitting against the lockers.

"Oh wow…" She stared at him for a moment and then blinked, turning slightly pink. "Are you ok? They got really mad at you in there for trying to help…" She was staring at the floor. "I just thought… It wasn't your fault for trying to help…"

He grinned, she was avoiding looking at him because he didn't have a shirt on. He wanted to laugh. "Life's too short and there's too many people in the world to be nervous around them Kitty." HE said with a grin as she looked up at him, "Especially a freak like me."

"You're not a freak…" She said as he reached for his shirt, still grinning. "Oh god, what happened to your arm?" She said suddenly.

He looked down at his arm. The scratch was bleeding now, the red liquid running down his arm and now dripping on the bench slightly as he reached out. "I didn't even notice it…"

"It's bled all over your pants…" She said, walking forward and crouching in front of him to look at it. "There's some gauze and peroxide in the cabinet over there, I can fix it if you want…" She was holding his arm like it was a piece of meat to be appraised.

"If you want." He said without much thought. He really would rather let it bleed, normal red blood.

"Here, just don't move it." She said with a grin, walking to the cabinet and taking out some gauze and a roll of bandages. She came back over and sat down on the bench beside him, pulling his arm over so she could lay the gauze on it. "It shouldn't hurt to bad if you just leave this on it until it scabs." She grinned and tore the gauze off at his elbow, setting it over the cut. It turned pink even as she wrapped the bandages around it. "There, that should be better…" She smiled and stuck the metal holder into the end of the bandage and where it wrapped around his elbow. "And that should keep it on."

He leaned back against the lockers and stared at the bandages. There wasn't anything all too important about them. "Thanks…" He said quietly.

"What're those?" She asked, reaching out a hand and running her fingers over some slightly faded bruises on his chest and torso.

He looked down at his pale figure and saw several large darker spots across the skin. "Bruises." He said without much emotion, "When they give you drugs and ther-rape-me and it doesn't work they'll resort to anything."

She looked up at him and then stood up, "Wow, so I guess I shouldn't be in the guys dressing room." She grinned and folded her arms behind her back, "So I should be going…"

He grinned, "Alrigh." He picked up his shirt and stood up, stepping toward her and standing much closer then he probably should have, "Thanks for the help Kitty Cat." He winked and she felt herself blush as he walked around her and out of the room.


	6. Chapter 6

-1Disclaimer: I don't own X-men

# 3345671

Chapter 6

He stretched his arms over his head and frowned. Since he'd come here to this school he'd lost weight due to the distaste for him at the meal table and the general hate for him around the place. This hatred had doubled over ever since Jean and her little group of students had returned from their camping trip. He stretched again and felt his skin pull over his ribs. It wasn't a pleasant feeling especially as he heard his stomach growl. He considered going to get something to eat but thought better of it at the moment.

This place was almost worse then Caraway. It was huge but he wasn't allowed to go wondering around in case he got lost or ended up in the girls wing. Like he couldn't get there any time as a mouse or a bird or a bug. He grinned slightly, glancing at the large scab on the bottom of his left arm where the scratch had been only a few days before. This place had more psychos then the nut house did. He looked around the room with only a fleeting interest.

He was in the small room that seemed to be a room for washing clothes and laid out on the bench near the back, pulling one leg up. One of the washing machines near him was running and his shirt was inside, having gotten blood on it the other day and just now taking the time to wash it. Down the line of machines he could still hear the other machine running just as it had when he came in. "What a shit house." He glanced at the door as someone knocked and it swung open. He lifted an eyebrow as he saw who stood there.

"Ya better no' a said wha' I think you jus' said." She frowned at Gambit as he leaned back in his chair. "Cause if ya did Ah have at kill ya."

"Mon amour, Ah don' lnow wha' ya think ah said bu' ya probably 'eard me wrong." He grinned and put his hands behind his head.

"Jus' leave will ya?" She asked, frowning at him.

"Mon ami, Ah believe ah was here firs' if ah'm not mistaken." He said with a grin, and she glared at him, stood, and left the room.

"Who does he think he is?" She said with a huff, folding her arms. She was walking to the laundry room where she'd left her jeans to wash earlier. Shed gone to sit in the recreation room and wait for them to finish when she'd stumbled on Gambit. "Wha' an idio'." She fumed as she walked to up to the door of the laundry room and froze.

In the back of the room in a small corner stood Dodger with his back to her and his shirt off. The odd thing was the fact that he was hunched over a little like he was sick. As she opened her mouth to ask if he was ok when she noticed a hand wrapped around the back of his head. She blinked, that was defiantly a woman's hand.

She backed out of the room quickly and turned down the hallway moving quickly. Her face was pink, that was obviously not something she had been meant to walk in on. As the image flashed through her mind she frowned. At first she'd thought the hand was Kitty's but she realized it was too tan to be Kitty's hand, it could only be one of the girls…

Logan frowned as he knocked on Dodger's door again. "Open up!" He said loudly. "Open up or I'll break it down!"

The door opened enough that Dodger could stick his head out. "What'a ya want?" He asked shortly.

"Professor wants to talk to ya about something'." He said, noticing that Dodger was only wearing boxers and looked like he had just woken up even though it was four in the afternoon.

"Now?" He asked shortly, glancing back into his room.

"Whenever you get the chance." Logan said trying and failing to look past the slightly taller boy into his room. "Soon'd be best." Logan added to the slightly harassed look on Dodger's face.

"Yeah, I get the point." He said shutting the door.

Logan stood there for a moment not sure what to do before he finally started to walk away. As he did he heard Dodger climb back into bed and move around before he lost the noise amid the usual sounds of a house full of teenagers.

By the time he reached the stairs he could hear Dodger following him, his clothes on but his hair a mess. He shook his head. "Yer not gonna be able to sleep in this late when yah get a schedule."

"I wasn' sleepin'." He said shortly going past Logan and turning toward the professor's office. Logan stared at his back as it moved away from him and then looked over toward the boy's wing as a door shut. He raised an eyebrow and decided not to go and look into the room.

"You wanted to see me?" Dodger asked as he opened the door to the professor's office and stuck his head in. He blinked at the friendly looking décor.

"Yes, Dodger, come in and have a seat." Xavier said with a smile, motioning to a chair that looked out of place in the office, "This shouldn't take very long at all." Dodger walked in and sat on a chair which leaned back as he rested against it. "Just lean back." Xavier said, moving around his desk and stopping behind the chair.

Dodger leaned back in his chair and was surprised when it went flat, almost like he was laying down. "What exactly are we doing?" He asked, a little confused.

"Just don't move." Xavier said, holding a hand on either side of his head. Dodger opened his mouth to answer and stopped, his eyelids dropping till they were half closed, what could be seen of his eyes staring up at the ceiling.

"Just let me have a look." He wanted to know what was going on in Dodger's head that had him in a mental ward. At first there was nothing but black, and then it happened. To his left a door that looked very neat and clean appeared, on his right a door that was iron and looked very scratched up, and in front of him was an old looking door with graffiti on it. He'd never seen anything like this.

He reached out to grab the handle on the left and was surprised when a person materialized in front of him, it was obviously dodger but he looked much more kempt and shorter, a pair of glasses magnifying his eyes slightly. "You shouldn't be here."

"No shit Sherlock." To his right stood a slightly taller boy with blonde hair and no glasses but the same face, Dodger's face. He was a bit more muscular and was currently smoking a cigarette, "That's th old guy from the school, remember Ronny boy? You're supposed to be the smart one."

The boy in glasses looked offended, "I know very well who he is, and don't do that, it's terrible for you."

The blonde boy simply grinned, "Not like it affects you or anything so what'a you care?" He glanced over as the professor went passed them, having watched the exchange but now saw a third figure that seemed to be asleep beside the door at the end. "Hey, back off wheels…"

"Ray!" The boy in glasses said angrily, "Excuse him, he's a little rude, however I have to ask that you don't wake him, the last time that happened, well, he isn't a very nice person…" The boy finished, looking at the third figure who was slumped against the wall by the third door, apparently asleep.

"The last time?" The professor asked, looking at Ron.

"He was awake a moment ago actually, he fell back asleep when you came." Ron said, looking at him.

"He shot a pair of guys." Ray said, drawing the professor's attention away from Ron, "He just got out of bed with…"

"RAY!" Ron said loudly, "That's hardly appropriate conversation for…"

"Get out."

It was barely more then a whisper but they all looked up at the final door. It was standing open and the boy that had been seemingly asleep was still in his crouched pose, his face turned to the floor. The professor looked at the one on the floor as he lifted his head and glared, "Get out old man."

The professor stared at him, it was dodger's face but not his voice, it was deeper somehow, "Dodger are you all…?"

"Get out now old man." The voice was no louder even now that he was looking the man in the face the tone even more threatening although it still wasn't a command, but the other two images had gone and there was nothing but Xavier and Dodger, the door on the wall behind him the only obvious way out.

As Xavier looked at the man in front of him. He was much paler then the Dodger that Xavier knew and across his arms and face he could see a multitude of scars crisscrossing everywhere. The imaginary man's relaxed posture and sheer lack of concern made him nervous, the fact the man was sitting there barefoot and in almost too casual clothes making the feeling worse. "I said OUT!"

Xavier blinked and looked down at dodger who was laying there with his eyes half closed and staring at the ceiling, what struck hi as odd was that Dodger's hand was closed very tightly around his wrist, and no on had ever done that before. Xavier pulled the boy's hand off of his arm before allowing him to wake fully. "I apologize for not explaining what I was going to do before I did it, I do that for all of our new arrivals." He smiled as Dodger stood up and walked out of the room, looking more then a little weary.

When Dodger was out of the room and the door was shut he looked back down at his wrist which was turning purple-brown in a ring where Dodger's fingers had been. He blinked in surprise, and then turned his eyes to the door again.


End file.
